Maurice Richard - Bio, pictures, stats and more | Historical Website of the Montreal Canadiens See also... THE RICHARD RIOT On March 17, 1955, a game between the Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings explodes off the [...] ROCKET’S THREE STARS On March 23, 1944, Maurice Richard took matters into his own hands during the second game of [...] AN EMBLEMATIC ICON OF THE MONTREAL CANADIENS, MAURICE RICHARD’S INFLUENCE AND IMPACT TRANSCENDED THE GAME. Maurice Richard always maintained that he was nothing more than a hockey player. Few others share that opinion of the man who represents the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens’ long and illustrious history. For 18 brilliant seasons, Richard proudly wore the colors of the only team that ever mattered to him, taking on all opponents and rewriting the NHL record book along the way. Richard had one job to do and he did it better than any man alive; he scored goals. He was unstoppable from the blue line in and, with eyes blazing, he single-mindedly attacked nets around the league, filling them with rubber night after night.

Richard showed promise in 1942-43, but broke his leg 16 games into the schedule. The next season, there were whispers that perhaps he wasn’t strong enough to withstand the rigors of life in the NHL. The 1943-44 campaign silenced the critics. Richard notched 32 regular season goals before adding another dozen in the playoffs. He guided the Habs, who lost only six games from October on, as they rolled to their first Stanley Cup Championship in 13 years. The most exciting new player to hit the NHL in a generation, Richard filled arenas with spectators with the same consistency that he filled nets with rubber in 1944-45. Playing with Toe Blake and Elmer Lach on what would famously become known as the “Punch Line”, he raised the bar for all scoring sensations to come, becoming the first NHLer to light the lamp 50 times in the same season. Richard was consistently among the top scorers in the league. In an era when scoring 20 goals in a season turned a player into a star, Richard bettered the mark 14 consecutive years.

He scored 30 or more nine times and broke the 40-goal plateau on five occasions. He was named to 14 straight All-Star teams and led the league in goals four times. If Richard got one goal, odds were, others would follow. On 26 occasions, Richard potted three or more in the same game. In 1944, he set an NHL record that would stand for over 30 years when he scored eight points in a single game. The Rocket’s postseason play eclipsed his performances in the regular schedule; the bigger the stakes, the better he played. Opponents assigned to shadow Richard found that they had a choice to make if they wanted to counter the game’s greatest offensive force. They could keep their efforts within the rules and get burned most of the time, or they could use prohibited tactics to try to slow down the superstar. Neither approach yielded the desired results on a regular basis. Richard didn’t go out of his way to look for trouble and rarely took issue with men who played a tough but clean checking game. Those who chose more brutal tactics soon found out that Richard was willing to retaliate in kind, more than able to handle himself in the heavy going.

Richard’s place in the hearts of hockey fans was never more evident than late in the 1954-55 season. After being ejected for fighting against the Bruins on March 13, Richard was suspended three days later by NHL President Clarence Campbell for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. The controversial decision sparked an outpouring of support from enraged fans in Montreal, resulting in what came to be known as "The Richard Riot", one of the most notorious events the hockey world has ever seen. As his personal star ascended, so did that of the Montreal Canadiens. Richard’s career formed the backbone of teams that won eight Stanley Cups in three different decades. Elected captain before the 1956-57 campaign, he led by example, driving the team to four consecutive titles before hanging up his skates in the spring of 1960. When he left the ice for the last time, Maurice Richard did so as the NHL’s all-time scoring leader, with 544 goals and 965 points to his credit in regular season play. In the playoffs, he tallied 82 markers, amassing more goals than any player preceding him.

The Hockey Hall of Fame waived the usual three-year waiting period and immediately inducted Richard in 1961. Maurice Richard’s number “9” was retired and raised to the Forum’s rafters on October 6, 1961. Since 1999, the NHL has awarded the Maurice Richard Trophy to the league’s leading goal scorer during the regular season. The hockey world went into mourning upon hearing of Richard’s death in 2000, as thousands filed past his casket to pay their last respects. His nationally broadcast state funeral was the first ever accorded a Canadian athlete. e Biography – RICHARD, MAURICE, known as the Rocket – Volume XXII (1991-2000) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography Biography – RICHARD, MAURICE, known as the Rocket – Volume XXII (1991-2000) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography Source: Library and Archives Canada/MIKAN 3612870 RICHARD, MAURICE (baptized Joseph-Henri-Maurice), known as the Rocket, professional hockey player, machinist, and shopkeeper; b. 4 Aug.

1921 in Montreal, eldest of the eight children of Onésime Richard and Alice Laramée; m. 12 Sept. 1942 Lucille Norchet (d. 1994) in Montreal, and they had five sons and two daughters; d. 27 May 2000 in Montreal. Maurice Richard came from a family of modest means. His parents, who were born in the Gaspé, moved to Montreal after their marriage. Maurice grew up in the Bordeaux district, near Ville Saint-Laurent (Montreal), and got his start in hockey there, first with his school team, and then with the neighbourhood one. While he was studying at the Montreal Technical School to become a machinist, Maurice played on the Parc Lafontaine teams. He had such obvious talent that a number of other sides wanted to get the left-winger for their ranks. Since he could not be on more than one team in a given year, he decided to use various names – that way, he could play hockey every day. The world of junior hockey discovered him in 1937–38.

He was then playing on Paul-Émile Paquette’s team, with Georges Norchet (who would become his brother-in-law) as captain and Paul Stuart as coach. Stuart advised his colleague Arthur Therrien, the trainer of the Verdun Maple Leafs, to meet the young player, with the result that Richard was able to make his mark with this team during the 1938–39 and 1939–40 seasons. In 1940–41 Richard signed a contract with the Montreal Senior Canadiens, the farm team for the great National Hockey League (NHL) club of the same name. In two seasons he played only a few games because he suffered two fractures (one to his wrist, the other to his ankle). His coach, Paul Haynes, did, however, have time to observe that he had an excellent back hander, even when playing left wing, and to change him into a right winger. Events moved quickly in 1942. First of all, he found a job at the Angus Shops, where his father was working as a machinist. For several years he would work at this job over the summer.

He tried to enlist in the army, but was turned down because of injuries he had incurred. In September, a few days before his marriage to Lucille Norchet, he signed his first professional contract with the Montreal Canadiens (known in English Canada as the Habs, for Habitants). At the time he began his initial season in the NHL, the league had just undergone two important changes. Between 1926 and 1931 it had ten teams. The depression, followed by World War II, forced four to withdraw. These were: in 1931 the Pittsburgh Pirates of Pennsylvania (founded in Philadelphia as the Quakers for the 1930–31 season); in 1935 the Ottawa Senators (founded in St Louis, Mo., as the Eagles for the 1934–35 season); in 1938 the Montreal Maroons; and in 1942 the New York Americans (called the Brooklyn Americans during the 1941–42 season).

For 25 consecutive seasons there would be only six teams: the Chicago Blackhawks (incorrectly written as two words, Black Hawks, until 1986), the Boston Bruins, the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Rangers, and the Detroit Red Wings. Many experts think that the addition of a red line at centre ice, in 1942–43, marked the beginning of modern professional hockey. Since 1919–20 there had been two blue lines, and forward passes had been permitted within each zone, but in order to move the puck across the blue line a player had to have possession of it. With the addition of the red line, passing was permitted from behind the net and across the blue line, as far as centre ice. The 1942–43 season ended early for Richard when he broke his ankle on 27 December. Despite the five goals and 11 points he had accumulated in 16 games, his frailty was causing some concern among fans of the Canadiens. In the next season, Richard came back stronger than ever.

He was wearing a new number – 9 instead of 15 – in honour of his daughter Huguette, who weighed nine pounds at birth. His team-mate Raymond Getliffe, who was astonished by the speed with which Richard outplayed him and his linemates Phillip Henri Watson and Erwin Groves (Murph) Chamberlain during practices, nicknamed him the Rocket. Together with Hector (Toe) Blake and Elmer Lach (with whom he made up the famous Punch Line), he scored 32 goals in 46 games. In the playoffs, he helped his team win the Stanley Cup against the Blackhawks by getting 12 goals in nine games. This was the fifth Stanley Cup the Habs had won, but the first since 1930–31. The five-foot-ten, 195-pound Rocket was now a star. Of all the players, he was the most determined to score. Between the blue line and the net, virtually nothing could stop him. The goalies could see the fire in his eyes as he skated towards them. Anyone who got in his way risked reprisals; he did not hesitate to retaliate with his fists, or even his stick.

The Punch Line set other records in 1944–45. Lach, with 80 points, was the highest scorer in the NHL; Blake had 67. The line achieved 220 points that season. The Rocket registered 50 goals in 50 games, surpassing the 44 goals in 20 games scored by Maurice Joseph Malone in 1917–18. Since it was wartime, however, a number of journalists took a dim view of these records. Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe* , the owner of the Maple Leafs, had raised a regiment and encouraged hockey players to enlist, with the result that during World War II the Toronto club lost more than half its players. For the Canadiens, the situation was different, and consequently tongues began to wag. The Montreal team was said to be taking advantage of the war to pile up victories. The results of the following seasons gave the lie to this impression. Even with the soldiers home again, the Habs won the Stanley Cup against the Bruins in 1945–46. Richard scored 27 goals in season play and 7 in the playoffs.

In 1946–47 he scored 45 goals and was awarded the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player. His detractors had to accept the reality and applaud him. Even Conn Smythe admitted that Richard was the best player, and he would make several attempts to buy his contract from the Canadiens, offering up to $135,000. During the 1950s the Canadiens reigned supreme in the NHL and the Rocket’s popularity soared. The Montreal club was in the Stanley Cup finals ten years in a row, and won it six times. The advent of television enabled both French- and English-speaking Canadians, who all knew Richard, to see him in action and breaking records. On 8 Nov. 1952, for example, he scored the 325th goal of his career against Chicago, beating the record of 324 set by a former Maroons player, Nelson Robert Stewart. In 1953–54 he also wrote a hockey column for the Montreal weekly Samedi-dimanche.

In one of his pieces, he commented on what he considered an unfair decision by Clarence Campbell* , president of the NHL, with regard to Bernard (Boom Boom) Geoffrion* . The pressure exerted by Campbell – who for many people represented the Montreal English-speaking and anti-French establishment – to stop Richard from writing his column had its effect. On the eve of the most important event in the Rocket’s career, the tension between the two men reached its peak. On 13 March 1955, during a game in Boston, a fight broke out between Richard and Harold Richardson Laycoe. When Richard saw that his head was bleeding, he was furious, and he rushed at Laycoe, brandishing his stick. The linesmen intervened, and one of them, Clifford B. Thompson, held Richard from behind while Laycoe continued to hit him. In an effort to break loose, Richard turned and struck the linesman. Richard said afterwards that he thought it was a Bruins player who was holding him. Such a mistake was possible because the officials at that time wore beige sweaters that were similar to the Bruins’ yellow ones.

In fact, as Richard later admitted, he knew who was holding him, but he was not prepared to let himself be pushed around. The following season, the officials wore striped sweaters. Two days later Richard had a meeting with Campbell to explain himself. It looked bad for the Rocket, who had already been suspended for several games at the beginning of the season as the result of another fight. Campbell gave his verdict on 16 March. Richard would be off the ice for the rest of the season, which included the last three games of the regular season and all of the playoffs. The Montreal French-language press screamed that it was an outrage. Richard would never accept this decision; in his opinion, the suspension – even if it had to be carried over to the next season – should not have affected the playoffs. In Montreal the next game of the regular season, scheduled for 17 March, between the Canadiens and the Red Wings, thus promised to be stormy. The mayor of Montreal, Jean Drapeau , even urged Campbell not to attend, fearing that his presence might provoke people’s anger. A crowd had gathered at the entrance to the Montreal Forum before the game started. Many people were carrying placards denouncing Campbell.

Shortly after the puck was dropped, Campbell arrived with his secretary (and future wife). Things were thrown at them. When Campbell stood up at the end of the first period, a spectator tossed a tomato, which hit him in the face. A few seconds later, a tear-gas bomb went off near him. The crowd rushed for the exits. Campbell took refuge in the referees’ dressing room, where he met the Rocket. He asked Frank J. Selke, the general manager, to close the Forum and declare the game defaulted. The contest, which the Canadiens lost 4–1, was the shortest in the history of the NHL. Outside, a riot broke out. The windows of the Forum were smashed and the crowd swarmed into Rue Sainte-Catherine, where they vandalized a number of stores. Only the Rocket’s statement on the radio the next morning cooled the anger of his fans. A number of scholars maintain that this exceptional demonstration of national pride was the prelude to the Quiet Revolution. In the playoffs, the Canadiens bowed to the Red Wings, who won the Stanley Cup in seven games. As for Richard, he lost his last chance to win the title of high scorer for the regular season, which went that year to Geoffrion.

The Canadiens began the 1955–56 season with a new coach, Toe Blake, who replaced James Dickenson Irvin, and a new recruit, Henri Richard, who was the Rocket’s brother. Another brother, Claude, would also try to join the Canadiens, but without success. Until 1959–60 the team would dominate the NHL in an extraordinary way, with five successive Stanley Cups and four Prince of Wales Trophies, awarded to the team finishing first in the NHL overall. Richard played an active part in these victories, but was slowed down again by injuries. During these years of triumph, there were few changes in the team’s makeup; 12 players – nicknamed the 12 Apostles – remained at their posts, as did their coach. On 19 Oct. 1957, in a game against Chicago, Richard outmanoeuvred goalie Glenn Henry Hall to score his 500th career goal. He dedicated it to Dick Irvin, who had died a few months earlier. On 15 Sept. 1960 Richard officially announced his retirement. His heart was no longer in it and his body was tired.

Nevertheless, the list of his NHL records – nearly 20 – is impressive: the most career goals (544) and hat tricks (26); the most goals in one season (50); and the most goals (82), winning goals (18), and overtime goals (6) in playoff games. These exploits show what a dominant player the Rocket had been at critical moments, especially in the two series that then made up the Stanley Cup playoffs, which the Canadiens had won eight times during the years when Richard was on the team. It was certainly because of his talent and determination that the Rocket had such success, but the cooperation of his many team-mates – Lach, Blake, Jean Béliveau* , Geoffrion, Richard Moore, his brother Henri – also worked in his favour. Defencemen Émile (Butch) Bouchard* and Doug Harvey, as well as goalies William Arnold Durnan and Jacques Plante, who concentrated on stopping an opponent, made Richard’s attacks easier. Richard did, however, remain with the Canadiens, where he held a position as representative for various social functions.

Since his contract had not expired, he was supposed to receive his full salary – about $25,000 – for three more years. He spent two years travelling across North America, after which, at his own request, his duties were reduced. Despite the promise that had been made to him, he was then paid only half his salary. Around 1965 he finally slammed the door. Only a change within the organization in 1981 would persuade him to rejoin the clan as an ambassador for the Canadiens. Richard launched into business. First he bought a pub in downtown Montreal, and then he sold it three years later for twice what he had paid for it and reinvested the money in a fishing-line business, which he set up in his basement. As a celebrity, he was asked to participate in various sporting and other events in Canada, the United States, and sometimes Europe. During the 1980s he would write a sports column for Montreal’s La Presse. In 1971 the World Hockey Association was founded to compete with the NHL. One franchise, the Nordiques, was granted to Quebec City the following year.

Marius Fortier, one of the six founders of the team, offered Richard a job as its coach. The Rocket, who saw this as a chance to fulfil a long-standing dream, accepted, but with the proviso that he would be able to spend every fall hunting. He reached an agreement with the Nordiques whereby Maurice Filion would run the training camp and he would take over as coach at the beginning of the regular 1972–73 season. The famous former player showed up on 11 October for the first game in the club’s history, against the Crusaders at Cleveland, Ohio. The Nordiques lost, 2–0. Realizing that he did not have the temperament required, he handed in his resignation, but was persuaded to stay on for one more game. And so, Richard’s coaching career ended two days later, after the Nordiques’ first home game, against the Alberta Oilers. The Nordiques won 6–0. The Rocket received many honours. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1961, although a player usually had to wait five years after retirement to be given such recognition. Furthermore, the Canadiens immediately retired the number 9.

Richard was the second player in the club, after Howard William Morenz* , number 7, to earn this mark of esteem. Among his other distinctions were the opening of an arena named after him in Montreal in 1962 (a museum devoted to his career would be inaugurated there in 1996) and his election to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and to the Panthéon des Sports du Québec. A plaque bearing his name has even been installed in the hall of fame of Madison Square Garden in New York. He was named to the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada in 1992 and became an officer of the Order of Canada in 1967 and a companion in 1998; in 1985 he was made an officer of the Ordre National du Québec. He also inspired numerous works, including a biography by Jean-Marie Pellerin, a song by Pierre Létourneau, and a memoir by Roch Carrier. The honours bestowed on the Rocket culminated in the ceremonies at the closing of the Montreal Forum and the creation of the Maurice Richard Trophy.

On 11 March 1996 the building that the Canadiens had occupied continuously since 1926 shut its doors. The team used the occasion to organize a special event at which the members of the Hockey Hall of Fame (including Butch Bouchard, Jean Béliveau, Guy Lafleur, and Robert M. Gainey) and former captains were introduced. Bouchard carried the torch, and then passed it to Richard, who had succeeded him as captain in 1956. The crowd gave him a standing ovation that went on for nearly 15 minutes. On the giant screen at the centre of the rink, the Rocket was weeping. Most of those present – some 18,000 – had never seen Richard play, since he had retired 36 years earlier, but they all knew the Rocket, had heard their parents and grandparents tell of his exploits, had seen pictures of the fiery-eyed player in action. At the end of the 1998–99 season Teemu Selanne, of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Calif., received the Maurice Richard Trophy.

He was the first winner of this award, presented to the highest scorer of the season in the NHL, and established in honour of the Rocket (who would have won it five times himself, had it existed during his playing career.) On the morning of 27 May 2000 Maurice Richard lost his fight with cancer. The Molson Centre in Montreal became a chapel of rest where some 100,000 people came to pay homage to him. The funeral, held on 31 May in Notre-Dame basilica, was attended by thousands of admirers. Former team-mates, including his brother Henri, carried the Rocket’s coffin, while veterans of the Canadiens, prominent politicians, and former opponents, such as Gordon Howe* and Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay, who had played for Detroit, followed the funeral procession. But the man for whom all these people had come together had always said, throughout his life, that he was just a hockey player, nothing else. Michel Vigneault Soc. de Généalogie de Québec, Fichier Drouin, Saint-Denis (Montréal), 6 août 1921. Le Soleil (Québec), 28 mai 2000.

Gérard Binette, Mariages de Notre-Dame du Très Saint-Sacrement (Montréal), 1926-1990 (Montréal, 1992). Roch Carrier, Our life with the Rocket: the Maurice Richard story, trans. Sheila Fischman (Toronto, 2001). Chrys Goyens et al., Maurice Richard, reluctant hero (Toronto, 2000). “Maurice Richard talks about . . . the Rocket,” Les Canadiens: Hockey Magazine (Montreal), 9 (1993–94), no.7: 22–66. Claude Mouton, Toute l’histoire illustre et merveilleuse du Canadien de Montréal (2e éd., Montréal, 1986). Andy O’Brien, Rocket Richard (Toronto, 1961). Rolland Ouellette, Les 100 plus grands Québécois du hockey (Montréal, 2000). J.-M. Pellerin, L’idole d’un peuple: Maurice Richard (Montréal, 1976).

Total hockey: the official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League, ed. Dan Diamond (Toronto, 1998). Revisions based on: “Hockeydb.com: the Internet hockey database”: (consulted 25 July 2016). Sports Reference, “Hockey reference”: (consulted 27 July 2016). National Hockey League, “NHL.com”: (consulted 27 July 2016). Maurice Richard dead at 78 Saturday, May 27, 2000 Maurice Richard dead at 78 MONTREAL (AP) -- Maurice "Rocket" Richard, whose explosive speed and scoring heroics made him the cornerstone of the Montreal Canadiens' dynasty that won five straight Stanley Cups, died Saturday at the age of 78. Richard, who slipped into a deep coma overnight, died of respiratory failure after a long battle with abdominal cancer. The hockey great was hospitalized with a recurrence of the cancer that was first diagnosed more than two years ago. He also had Parkinson's disease, and doctors suspected the onset of Alzheimer's. Richard, No.

62 on The Associated Press list of the top 100 athletes of the 20th century, helped the Canadiens win eight Stanley Cups during his 18-year career. "What truly set him apart -- what made him a special hero to the fans -- was his extraordinary intensity," Prime Minister Jean Chretien said in a statement. "He played with great emotion and flair and possessed an unmatched will to win. His dazzling combination of skill and drive not only made him one of the greatest hockey players ever, it also made him a symbol to all of what it takes to be a true champion." Richard and the Canadiens were followed with religious zeal in Montreal, with his fiery temper and the fans' dedication to their hero leading to a 1955 riot outside the Montreal Forum. "He loved hockey, the Canadiens and the fans," said Jean Beliveau, the former Montreal captain who disclosed last week that he has a malignant tumor in his neck. "He was a great leader. He didn't talk much. He preferred to express himself on the ice. I would tell younger players to watch the fire emanating from his eyes." Richard finished his career with a then-record 544 goals.

He was the first player to score 500 goals and the first to score 50 goals in a season when he did it in 50 games in 1944-45. His six overtime goals remains a playoff record. "Rocket had that mean look on, every game we played," Hall of Famer Gordie Howe said. "He was 100 percent hockey. He could hate with the best of them. "He could rile up the Montreal fans in a hurry. God, sometimes I felt sorry for the man. He must have got a standing ovation when he went shopping." A number of Montreal radio and television stations switched to all-Richard programming upon learning of his death. "We're ready to share our grief with the public," Maurice Richard Jr. said outside Hotel Dieu Hospital. "We know what our father meant." Andre Robidoux, a doctor who treated Richard, said the former player was on medication and did not suffer in his final days. "He died of respiratory failure, which was caused by several factors," Robidoux said. "We did all we could to save him over the week and throughout his illness." Richard was ambidextrous, a right wing who shot left-handed.

He often switched from backhand to forehand as he swooped in on goalies. In the days before curved blades and slap shots, the Rocket possessed a hard, accurate shot and he was one of hockey's most dangerous scorers. "What I remember most about the Rocket were his eyes," Hall of Fame goalie Glenn Hall once said. "When he came flying toward you with the puck on his stick, his eyes were all lit up, flashing and gleaming like a pinball machine. It was terrifying." Richard had great strength and shrugged off checks. He sometimes carried defensemen with him as he zoomed in on goalies. "With his pride, his passion, his drive, and his determination, Maurice Richard embodied all the qualities that make hockey great," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "He will live on through his legend and his legacy of excellence." Born in Montreal on Aug. 4, 1921, Richard grew up in a rough part of the city, next to a jail. He played hockey in the city's park league but his early career was often interrupted by injuries. There was a broken ankle, then a broken wrist.

When he was promoted to the Canadiens in 1942, Richard broke his ankle again and the team's general manager, Tommy Gorman, said "It looks like we have a brittle-boned player on our hands." Gorman even considered releasing Richard. But as he matured, Richard shook off that image and became one of the most compelling figures in the six-team league through the 1940s and '50s. On March 13, 1955, Richard got into a brawl with Boston's Hal Laycoe, swinging his stick at the defenseman three times and then taking a punch at linesman Cliff Thompson. NHL president Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the final three games of the regular season and the entire playoffs. Then, four days after handing down his ruling, Campbell appeared at the Forum for a crucial game against Detroit. He was greeted by boos and a shower of peanuts and programs. Then a fan approached Campbell as if to shake his hand and slugged him instead. A tear gas bomb exploded on the ice and the game was forfeited to the Red Wings. When the fans spilled out of the Forum on to Ste.

Catherine Street, in the middle of downtown Montreal, stores were looted and the crowd started a full scale riot. The next day, Richard went on the radio to plead for calm. "I will take my punishment," he said, "and come back next year to help the club and the younger players to win the Stanley Cup." And that's exactly what he did. The next year, with Richard back, the Canadiens began an unmatched run of five straight championships. Nine months after he retired in 1960, Richard was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, which waived its usual five-year waiting period to honor him. He often drew double coverage on the ice but he skated right through it, bowling defenders over and then staring them down with his dark, menacing eyes. The Rocket's Red Glare could dissect defenders. "As soon as he would touch the puck, you could feel the electricity in the crowd," said former linemate Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion. "It was amazing to see how people would react. There's never been another like him." Richard led the league in goals five times and was part of the most devastating power play in hockey history, one which forced a change in the rules.

Before the Richard-led Canadiens mastered the manpower advantage, penalized teams were forced to play shorthanded for the full term of the penalty. But the Canadiens became so proficient with the extra skater that they often scored two and three times, causing the rule to be changed and limiting power plays to a single goal. "There were games when I felt everything I shot would go in," Richard said. "On some nights, if I touched the puck, I knew I would score. "We were supposed to win all the time. When we did not win, it was a tragedy to many fans. All they knew was win, win, win." Richard and wife Lucille, who died in 1994, had seven children and 14 grandchildren. Richard's brother, Henri, also played for the Canadiens. Maurice Richard It was in the backyard with his brothers and his father that he learned to play hockey. From his earliest days, Maurice Richard wanted to play for the Montreal Canadiens. His father taught him never to give up, encouraged him to persevere. To achieve his dream, Maurice played for several teams at the same time. He started with the team at his school, François de Laval.

Between 1937 and 1939, he played for the Paquettes of the Parc Lafontaine League, and for his neighbourhood team. During the day he studied at the École Technique de Montréal, in the evening he laced up his skates and played hockey. Very quickly, hockey pushed school aside. Maurice trained very hard, playing for five teams at once. He racked up 133 of the 145 goals scored by the Paquettes; he was quickly spotted by the scouts for a Junior team, the Verdun Leafs. The following year, he found itself with the Canadian Seniors of the Provincial League. For the first two years, a long series of injuries prevented him from playing. Despite this, he was recruited by the Montreal Canadiens in 1942: his dream had come true. In his first game, after assisting with a goal, he broke a bone and ended his season. People in hockey circles were starting to ask if Maurice Richard was too fragile to play professional hockey. Stung, he came back the following year with a rush and helped his team win the Stanley Cup. It was the start of a legend.

Richard played 18 years in the NHL. He won eight Stanley Cups. In a single game, he three times scored four goals, 33 times scored three goals and 107 times scored two goals. He was the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games. He was named to the All Stars 14 times. He scored 626 goals and 465 assists in 1,111 games. Even today, he is among the 10 top scorers of the National Hockey League. Maurice Richard is much more than a hockey player: he is a national hero for French Canadians. The public identifies with him; he is one of theirs. In March 1955, the President of the NHL, Clarence Campbell, suspended Richard following a fight. The suspension put an end to the Rocket's hopes of winning the scoring championship and, worse still, of skating in the playoffs. His fans rose in a body to protest what they saw as an unjust and discriminatory decision by the NHL big-wigs. On March 17, during the first game of the Canadiens-Red Wings series, a riot broke out.

Campbell, who was in the stands, was booed, windows were smashed, stores looted and cars overturned. On September 15, 1960, Maurice "Rocket" Richard announce his retirement. The Canadiens' famous No. 9 won a number of trophies, including the Hart and the Lou Marsh; he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on 1972. He was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1967, [a Companion in 1998] and Officer of the Ordre National du Québec in 1985. Since his retirement, Richard has remained as popular as ever with the crowds who cheered him and with his new fans: he travels across Canada to promote hockey as a discipline for young people. Maurice Richard | NHL Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Many Habs fans considered it discrimination that Richard only won the Hart Trophy once. Although Richard was often perceived as a pre- Quiet Revolution hero excelling in an Anglophone world, he always insisted that he was an apolitical man playing hockey for the love of the sport. [2] Richard was not without opinions.

Richard wrote, along with a newspaper ghost-writer, a column in the French language 'Samedi-Dimanche' starting in 1952. The column was entitled "Le Tour du Chapeau" (Hat Trick). It mostly described the regular goings-on around hockey, but Richard would occasionally run into controversy; in one instance, he called Quebec City fans "bandits" for their treatment of his brother Henri when he was a junior. Richard's writing took on a most serious tone in 1954 when he criticized NHL president Clarence Campbell for suspending Boom Boom Geoffrion for eight games. Richard labelled Campbell as 'partial' to Canadiens opponents. “What did Campbell do, when Jean Beliveau was deliberately injured twice by Billy Mosienko of Chicago and Jack Evans of Rangers ? No penalty, no fine, no suspension. Did he suspend Gordie Howe of Detroit when he almost knocked out Dollard St. Laurent's eye? No!

It is strange that only Dick Irvin and I have the courage to risk our livelihood by defending our rights against such a dictator.” (On the topic of 'paper assists' given out in Detroit:) “It is not surprising that Howe, Lindsay and Abel are among the top point-scorers in the league, although I admit Howe and Lindsay are good players. Let Campbell get busy with the other little goings-on known about players of the National Hockey League and not try to create publicity for himself at the expense of a good fellow like 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion just because he is a French Canadian. That is my frank opinion and if I am to be punished for it, well that's that. I will leave hockey and I have an idea that several other Canadien players who share my opinion will do the same.” [3] Campbell threatened Richard with discipline and Frank Selke wrote up an apologetic retraction letter to Campbell. Richard then signed off his next column "Freedom of speech has been taken away from me. I have to obey my employers. I am not judging them but will leave this matter in the hands of my friends." [4] Geoffrion also quit a similar column he had been writing.

Richard deposited a $1,000 dollar cheque with Campbell along with his retraction. Campbell declared the matter closed and said that it would not have any bearing on any future matters. [5] Richard's career began and ended before the beginning of huge salaries. The largest yearly salary he ever made was $25,000 (equivalent to $200,000 in 2008). His # 9 jersey number was retired on October 6, 1960, by the Canadiens, less than a month after he announced his retirement. His brother Henri "The Pocket Rocket" Richard joined him with the Canadiens in 1955 and would go on to win eleven Stanley Cups with the team, an NHL record. Playing style Edit Richard was an outstanding scorer. While he had a good fore-hand and back-hand shot, he was not considered to have the greatest shot or accuracy. Richard made up for it in desire and other skills to become the outstanding goal-scorer of his time. He had excellent stick-handling skills, was fast on his skates, and strong. He used those abilities to outmaneuver opponents. He was well-known for frightening opponents with his stare.

Richard's fighting ability (he had taken boxing in school) meant that most players did not want to get into fights with him. The most common strategy was to check him hard, play him chippy and insult him into drawing a penalty. Richard was known not to start fights, but would willingly fight back and finish them, including the fights of other team-mates. Richard would make a burst of speed around the defenceman and then cut out front of the goaltender and be in a perfect position to shoot before the other defenceman hit him. It was a high-stakes style as he was also putting himself in the perfect position to get hit by the other defenceman. Richard was first converted to a right wing to take advantage of his move around the defenceman by Paul Haynes , who was coach of the senior Canadiens when Richard played there. Haynes noted that Richard also had a sizzling back-hand shot and could still get that shot off if the defenceman pushed him off the angle for a forehand shot. [6] In the 1950s, Richard was frequently compared to emerging star Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings . Both were right wingers who wore the same sweater number (9).

They were frequently contenders for the league scoring title, and could also play rough if needed. During their first encounter in the Montreal Forum , when Howe was a rookie, he knocked Richard down with a punch after being shoved. The Red Wings and Canadiens faced off in four Stanley Cup finals during the 1950s. When Richard retired in 1960 , he paid tribute to Howe, saying "Gordie could do everything." [7] Chronology Edit Maurice Richard played minor ice hockey at all levels in the Montreal area before playing junior in Verdun, starting in 1938. By 1940, he had moved up to the Canadiens senior team in the Quebec league. He broke his ankle and played only one game. He returned and played the whole 1941-42 season for the senior Canadiens. However, by the time he first tried out for the NHL Canadiens in 1942, he had suffered several injuries and he was a considerable risk for the Canadiens to take on. Despite this, coach Dick Irvin insisted that general manager Tommy Gorman sign him, being impressed with his play in camp. Richard would break his right ankle and play only 16 games.

Gorman attempted to make a trade with the New York Rangers for Phil Watson , but the Rangers' GM Lester Patrick refused the deal. [8] In 1943, Richard's first child was born, Huguette, and she was nine pounds. Richard, who had been wearing number 15, asked for and received number 9. It was a new start for him with the Canadiens. Richard's left ankle was to be forever misshapen by injury but he adapted his skating. Richard played the full 1943–44 season , and score 32 goals and 54 points and be named to the Second All-Star team. He had one of his career highlights that season when, on March 23, 1944, Richard scored all five goals for the Canadiens in a 5–1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs en route to the Stanley Cup Finals and was awarded all three stars for his efforts. [9] The Canadiens would win the Stanley Cup , sweeping Chicago in four games. The following season , only his second full season in the NHL, Richard scored 50 goals in 50 games .

He became the first NHL player to score 50 in a season. This was the season that the "Punch Line" was formed with Richard, Elmer Lach and Toe Blake . The trio finished the season 1-2-3 in league scoring. All three shot left, and Richard was moved from his previous left wing position to right wing. Irvin had recalled that Richard had played right wing with the senior Canadiens and been effective. Richard would remain a right winger for the rest of his career. The Canadiens placed first in the league, but lost in the first playoff round to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Maple Leafs. In that season, Richard had two other career highlights. On December 28, 1944, Richard scored five goals and three assists in a 9–1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He had spent the day moving to a new house and he had told his team-mates he was exhausted. His brother-in-law, who had witnessed and helped in the move, bet against Richard scoring any goals that night. On February 3, 1945, Richard scored a goal while carrying Red Wings defenceman Earl Siebert , who weighed Template:Convert/LoffAoffDbSoff .

According to Red Storey who refereed the game: “Earl Seibert jumped on his back. Jumped on his back! Put his arms around him. And his legs around him. The Rocket never broke stride. He went in, deked the goalkeeper, scored a goal, and shook Seibert and threw him in the corner.” [10] In 1945–46 , NHL veterans started returning to the league after serving in World War II . The league became stronger and goal-scoring dropped. The Canadiens again placed first, and won the Stanley Cup. Richard's goal-scoring was reduced to 27 goals while Blake had 29 to lead the Canadiens. Richard and Blake both scored seven goals in the Canadiens' nine-game playoff, losing only one game over two series. In 1946–47 , Richard led the Canadiens in goal scoring and points as the Canadiens again placed first. The Canadiens made it to the Final to play Toronto. This series had one of Richard's violent outbursts. After winning the first game 6–0 the Canadiens may have been overconfident and the Leafs changed their tactics, riling up Richard in game two.

Richard high-sticked and injured Bill Ezinicki and Don Metz earning a fine and a one-game suspension. The Canadiens lost game two, game three and game four before winning game five to prolong the series. Toronto closed out the series in game six to take over as Cup champions. The following season , line-mate Toe Blake suffered a career-ending ankle injury. The Canadiens struggled that season to that point, and after Blake's injury, fell out of playoff contention with a series of losses. Richard and Lach both made the First All-Star team, but the Canadiens failed to qualify for the playoffs. After two lack-lustre seasons, Richard had an outstanding season, scoring 43 goals and 65 points, but was held to just one goal in a five-game semi-final loss to the New York Rangers . Richard again made the First All-star team. File:Henry and richard.jpg In 1950, the Rocket followed this up with 42 goals in the 1950-51 season, and the Canadiens made it to the Stanley Cup Final again, losing again to Toronto. It would be the first of ten consecutive appearances in the Final series.

Richard placed second in the scoring race to Gordie Howe , who now pushed Richard to the Second All-star team. Richard led the Canadiens to the Final, with some revenge by defeating Howe's Red Wing team in the semi-final. Richard led all playoff scorers. That same season, on January 6, 1951, Richard scored his 271st goal to become the Canadiens's all-time goal scorer. [11] In 1951-52 , Bernie Geoffrion played his rookie season with the Canadiens, scoring 30 goals to outscore Richard, who played only 48 games due to injury. Richard was named to the Second All-star team, second to Howe. The Canadiens again made it to the Final, although third-string right wing Floyd Curry led the team in scoring. On April 8, 1952, Richard scored one of the most famous goals of all time, described variously as "the greatest in the history of the game" and "most beautiful in the history of the world".

[11] As blood dripped down his face after an earlier injury that saw him suffer a concussion, he scored the series-winning goal of the 1952 Stanley Cup Semifinals. Richard had left the game, but returned to the bench in the third period, wearing a bandage. Richard, although somewhat dazed, jumped off the bench and drove to the net to score past a surprised Sugar Jim Henry , the Boston Bruins ' goaltender. [11] In 1952–53 , Richard again led the Canadiens in scoring, and scored seven goals in 12 games as the Canadiens won the Cup for the first time since 1946. On November 8, 1952, Richard scored his 325th goal to overtake Nels Stewart and become the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history. Richard picked up the puck after scoring, but he then threw the puck down violently, before picking it up again and keeping it. [12] The puck was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II in 1955.

[13] After Lach scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime on a pass from Richard, Richard and Lach jumped into each others arms to celebrate. The collision broke Lach's nose. [14] In 1953–54 , the Canadiens finally landed Jean Beliveau by purchasing his team. Richard led the Canadiens in scoring, with 37 goals and 67 points in 70 games. He was tightly checked in the playoffs, scoring only three goals. The Canadiens lost in the Final to the Red Wings in seven games. The Canadiens ended the season sourly, a crowd of spectators swarmed onto the Detroit ice after the deciding game and the Canadiens did not do the customary shaking of hands. [15] 1954–55 was a turbulent season for Richard. This was the season after he had publicly criticized Campbell for being partial, and then publicly apologized and retracted his statements. While scoring 38 goals and 74 points in 67 games, he also recorded his highest penalty total of 125 minutes.

He slapped one official in a game in Toronto and in the 67th game punched out a linesman to receive a suspension for the rest of the season and the playoffs. The suspension incensed his fans and led to the ' Richard Riot '. Richard had been leading the league in scoring, and would lose out to Bernie Geoffrion who was able to play 70 games. When Geoffrion, Richard's teammate, passed him in points on the last day of the regular season, he was booed by the Montreal faithful. The Canadiens lost in the Stanley Cup Finals without Richard who was named to the First All-star team at the end of the year. Geoffrion was named to the Second All-star team. 1955–60: A Canadiens dynasty and a mellower Richard File:Maurice Richard jersey.JPG 1955 saw the departure of Dick Irvin from the Canadiens and the return of Toe Blake to coach the team. Unlike Irvin, Blake took a new approach with the Rocket. Irvin tried to ratchet Richard up, Blake tried to smoothen out his performance.

Richard scored 38 goals and 71 points in 1955–56 , but the top scorer was now Beliveau, who had 88 points. But the new team approach of Blake worked and the Canadiens won the first of five straight Stanley Cups. Richard was joined on the team by younger brother Henri . Richard was again named to the First All-star team. 1956–57 saw Richard named team captain of the Canadiens. Richard scored 33 goals to tie Beliveau for the team lead. In the playoffs, the Canadiens defeated New York and Boston, each in five games to win the Cup again. In 1957–58 , Richard played only 28 games due to an Achilles tendon injury, but contributed 11 goals in ten playoff games to lead the Canadiens to another Cup win. He had an outstanding playoff run. He scored seven in the series against Detroit, including a hat trick and the series-winning goal. The game-winning goal would be his 18th, a record. One of the goals of the hat trick was a career highlight. Richard drove to the net around Detroit defenceman Warren Godfrey , who pulled Richard to the ice.

Richard, still traveling at full speed, pulled himself up to one knee and poked the puck past Terry Sawchuk . [16] But it would be his last individual hurrah. He would not score in the 1959 playoffs and score only once in the 1960 playoffs. The 1958–59 and 1959–60 seasons saw Richard battling injuries that reduced his games played to 42 and 51. Both years however, the Canadiens under his captaincy won the Cup. In the 1960 off-season, there was considerable speculation about the Rocket retiring, but he put off the decision. Punch Imlach predicted accurately that Richard would not want to play any longer if he could not play at the top level. Despite the speculation, in June with the intra-league draft, the Canadiens kept him on their protected list. At a September 15 practice however, Richard made up his mind and he announced his retirement at a press conference on September 15, 1960. Coaching Edit Richard briefly served as head coach of the Quebec Nordiques during the 1972–73 WHA season.

He would last for only two games, a 3–2 loss to the Cleveland Crusaders , and a 3–0 victory over the Alberta Oilers . Richard decided coaching wasn't his forte and stepped down. [17] Personal life Edit Born August 4, 1921, Maurice Richard was the eldest of eight children (five sons: Maurice, Henri, Claude, René and Jacques; three daughters: Rollande, Marguerite and Georgette) of Onesime and Alice Richard. Onesime and Alice had moved from the Gaspé region to Nouveau-Bordeaux so that Onesime could work as a machinist at the Canadian Pacific Railway . At age four, he began playing hockey on a backyard rink, built by his father. As a teen, Richard excelled at baseball and boxing. He played hockey as much as he could, sometimes twice per night and four games on the week-end. To play on more than one team, Richard adopted aliases, the most well known-being Maurice Rochon. [2] Richard married teenage sweetheart Lucille Norchet against the wishes of her father in 1942.

Maurice had met Lucille when she was thirteen and he was sixteen, when he was playing for the Paquette Club in the Park Lafontaine Juvenile League, which was coached by Lucille's brother George. They announced their engagement when she was 17 and Maurice was 20. At 16, Maurice dropped out of school and worked with his father as a machinist and that was his only income other than some income in the winter with the senior Canadiens. [18] They would have seven children: Huguette, Maurice Jr., Norman, André, Suzanne, Polo and Jean. Lucille died in 1994. After Lucille died, Maurice's last companion was Sonia Raymond. [19] Attempts to join the military Edit Richard was turned down a total of three times by the military, twice for combat and once as a machinist . The first time was in 1939 at the beginning of World War II when he was 18 and the second time the following year. X-rays showed that his ankle and femur as well as his wrists had broken and had not healed properly during junior hockey and he was therefore unfit for military action.

Richard had applied to be a machinist in the military, but was again refused due to his lack of a high school diploma or technical trade certificate. Richard tried to explain that he had dropped out of school to help his family and had been working as a machinist at a local factory since he was 16. They still refused, and he was told he needed a machinist certificate. Upon hearing this he decided to train as a machinist at the Montreal Technical School the following year and therefore fulfill his desire to help in the war effort. The war was over before Richard received his certificate, which took four years. He was disappointed that the Canadian military had not given him the opportunity to participate in some capacity. Honours File:Richard sculpture.JPG In 1967 Richard was inducted into the grade of Officer in the Order of Canada , making him one of the first members of the order. He was later promoted to Companion of the order in 1998, the same year he was ranked number five on The Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players , the highest-ranking Montreal Canadien.

Richard was also given the rare distinction of being appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada in 1992, entitling him to the style The Honourable (French: L'Honorable) for life. The appointment, and those of twenty others that year made by the Governor General on the advice of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney , remains unusual as, traditionally, being made a privy councillor is an act reserved for members of Cabinet , Chief Justices of Canada , and certain others who require access to classified documents. In August 2008, Canadian Pacific Railway named a station in his honour. Although Richard had a falling-out with the Canadiens not long after he retired in 1960, he eventually patched things up and returned to them, serving the club as an unofficial goodwill ambassador from 1991 – highlighted by the Habs' most recent (to date) Cup in 1993 – until he died. The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy was donated by the Montreal Canadiens hockey club to the NHL in 1999, to be awarded annually to the goal-scoring leader during the regular season. Richard himself had led the league in goals five times.

In 1996 at the closing of the Montreal Forum , a tearful "Rocket" received the longest standing ovation in the city's history: Over 16 minutes of adulation poured over him, chanting his nickname over and over again. Richard, always the reluctant hero, looked around in surprise for the first few minutes. When he realized the crowd was not letting up and their love for him was real, he broke down in tears while waving and mouthing "thank you". He rarely showed this side of himself, as he always tried to remain humble. The last few minutes of adulation saw Richard closing his eyes, while the crowd chanted "GO HABS GO!" over and over again. Richard later stated that when he closed his eyes and heard the crowd, it brought him back to his younger days. He thought it was a very loving gesture by the fans. A Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team was also named after him, the Rocket de Montréal , playing out of the Maurice Richard Arena (in 2003 this team moved to Prince Edward Island becoming the P.E.I. Rocket ). Their team logo prominently features Richard's number 9.

On June 27, 2001, the Canadian government unveiled a monument in Jacques-Cartier Park, in Hull, Quebec , honouring Richard, and he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame . Although being long retired by the time of his death in 2000, an estimated 115,000 people of all ages paid their respects while his body lay in state at Montreal 's Bell Centre . Following Richard's death, the Montreal Expos Major League baseball team wore Richard's number 9, in black, on their right sleeves for the duration of the 2000 season, and flags were lowered to half staff as Quebec's National Assembly was suspended for the day. Richard was given a provincial state funeral that was broadcast live across Canada, [20] the first time such an honour was bestowed on an athlete. Among those who attended were Governor General Adrienne Clarkson , Lieutenant Governor of Quebec Lise Thibault , various politicians (including then Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Chrétien , and then Premier of Quebec Lucien Bouchard ), Gordie Howe , Jean Béliveau , and then Canadiens team captain Saku Koivu .

[21] Depiction in popular media He is the subject of a 1998 National Film Board of Canada documentary, The Rocket. [23] The Jane Siberry song "Hockey" contains the line "They rioted in the streets of Montreal/When they benched Rocket Richard". Was referenced in the Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody": "His dad took the hose and froze the back yard/And little Buddy dreamed he was Rocket Richard" In the early 1980s, Maurice Richard starred in a commercial for Grecian Formula , a hair coloring product. In the commercial Richard plays a referee, he mentions that he leaves a touch of natural grey, because his wife likes it. At that point a trainer calls out, "Hey Richard, two minutes for looking so good!" a line that has since become famous and is referenced in a song by the Canadian punk band Belvedere . The local media first nicknamed him The Comet. During an intra-squad practice, Ray Getliffe was so impressed by him, he compared him to a rocket.

[24] In an edition of The Book of Sports Lists, by Pepe and Hollander, Richard was described by a teammate "with his eyes flashing like a pinball machine." His eyes seemed to be the most memorable feature during his play; in the picture he is wide-eyed as he skates toward the goal. The ValueTales series of children's books featured Maurice Richard for "The Value of Tenacity," published in 1984. Richard appears as a member of the Canadiens All-Star Team of Legends in NHL 09 , playing on the first line. As well as in NHL 10 . After his death, his Jersey Number "9" was memorialized on the jerseys of the Montreal Expos baseball club, the only time in history that a player from a different sport was honored on an MLB jersey. Career statistics Winter Olympic Games Legends of Hockey - Spotlight - One on One with Henri Richard (March 7, 2003) -- With his family gathered around him, Henri Richard celebrated his birthday this year. But something was odd - there were only seventeen candles on his birthday cake. It all adds up when you realize this champion of champions was born February 29, 1936.

Henri Richard seemingly beat the sands of time by being born a Leap Year baby. Born in Montreal, the younger brother of Canadiens' star 'Rocket' Richard, Henri was either blessed or saddled with the burden of playing in both the shadow of the Montreal Forum and in the shadow of one of the greatest players in the history of the National Hockey League. "All I ever had in my mind was playing with the Montreal Canadiens and thinking about playing with my brother Maurice," recalls Henri as he reflects back on the early days of his hockey career. Although there was a fifteen-year difference in their ages, Henri Richard couldn't help but be influenced by his oldest brother, the Rocket. "I wanted to play hockey because Maurice was playing hockey. But I never said it to anybody. When I was in school, they used to ask me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I never said, 'A hockey player.' I always said, 'A plumber' or something like that," laughs Henri. But although they shared the same genes, Maurice and Henri were entirely different types of hockey players. Maurice was solidly built and fierce in his determination to do anything conceivable to score.

Henri, on the other hand, was slight in his build, and was renowned for his excellent stickhandling and playmaking abilities. In fact, while playing with the Montreal Junior Canadiens in 1953-54 and 1954-55, Henri led the Quebec Junior Hockey League in scoring both years. Henri with brother Maurice in the Habs dressing room. "A lot of people said I wouldn't make it in the NHL," chuckles Richard. At 5'7" and 160 pounds, Henri proved his detractors wrong. He showed great durability and used his speed and stickhandling to compensate for what he may have lacked in size. "Elmer Lach was my coach in junior and he told me, 'You'll never make the NHL.' Well, I made it ahead of quite a few good hockey players," shrugs the Pocket Rocket. Henri Richard was a tireless skater. Smooth and fast, the Pocket Rocket employed his superior skating ability to beat opposing teams. "I met my wife when I was six or seven years old. I used to skate with her. She might have helped my skating," smiles Henri.

He joined the parent Montreal Canadiens at the beginning of the 1955-56 season. "Because of the age difference, I didn't think it would be possible but I played with my brother for five years (1955-1960). Maurice used to say that if I hadn't been there, he wouldn't have played that long." Yet, while the siblings shared the same dressing room and the same parents, that was the extent of things the two men shared. "We never talked about the game together. If I made a few mistakes while I was playing with him, he never complained. He never said anything. He never said, 'You should have done this or you should have done that.' There were a lot of people who told me that playing with Maurice was going to add a lot of pressure but I never felt any pressure. I never thought about my brother Maurice being a big star. It was normal for me. I was only 19 when I came up (to the Canadiens), and Montreal had a lot of great players; it wasn't just Maurice. Beliveau was there. Boom Boom Geoffrion and Doug Harvey were there. Jacques Plante was in the net.

It was always a great thrill." Henri�s brother Claude. In 1958, a third Richard brother came close to cracking the lineup with the Montreal Canadiens. Claude Richard had been a terrific goal scorer with the junior Ottawa-Hull Canadiens team that featured future Canadiens Bobby Rousseau, Ralph Backstrom, Gilles Tremblay and J.C. Tremblay. "Claude had pretty well everything you need to play in the NHL except he wasn't a good skater. He had a good shot. Then, there were only six teams. If it had been the seventies, he might have made the NHL," shrugs Henri. When Henri joined the Montreal Canadiens in 1955, no one could possibly have known that not only was he going to win the Stanley Cup as a rookie, but that he was stepping into a lineup that would win five consecutive Stanley Cup championships and is regarded as one of the greatest dynasties in NHL history. "Some people say it was destiny, but I just think I was in the right place at the right time," admits Richard. "That was a great team. There were so many great hockey players.

I wouldn't have said it before, but now that it's all over, I thought winning like that was normal." For five seasons, the Montreal Canadiens juggernaut rolled over the rest of the NHL, led by nine players and a coach who would go on to be honoured with selection to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Coach Toe Blake was joined in the Hockey Hall of Fame by Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Dickie Moore, Bernard Geoffrion, Bert Olmstead, Doug Harvey, Tom Johnson, Jacques Plante and Henri, who was elected in 1979. Through twenty superlative NHL seasons, Henri Richard proved his worth to the Montreal Canadiens' franchise time and time again. Twice, he led the NHL in assists, and Henri bettered the 50-point mark on fourteen occasions. He was a First All-Star selection in 1958 and was named to the Second All-Star Team in 1959, 1961 and 1963. Following the retirement of Jean Beliveau in 1971, Henri was named captain of the Montreal Canadiens and hoisted the Stanley Cup on behalf of his teammates in 1973.

Through 1,256 games, all played in le bleu, blanc et rouge of the only team with which Henri ever wanted to play, he scored 358 goals, 688 assists and collected 1,046 points. But even more remarkable is a record owned by Henri Richard that is unlikely ever to be broken. The skilled centre played on 11 Stanley Cup-winning teams, more than anyone else in NHL history. "Again, I'd tell you that I was in the right place at the right time," states the modest Richard. "A hockey team needs great defensemen to win, and that's what we had all the twenty years I was there. After Harvey and Johnson, we had (Serge) Savard, (Guy) Lapointe and (Larry) Robinson." After retiring, Henri operated a tavern in Montreal, but sold the bar in 1985. Today, he is an ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens, making public appearances on behalf of the team with which he starred. Although he no longer plays alumni hockey, Henri keeps fit by playing tennis and golf.

In spite of the shadow cast by an iconic brother, Henri Richard carved out an extraordinary career of his own, and rightfully takes his spot in the legendary Hockey Hall of Fame.

Question: In Hockey, who did Maurice Rocket Richard play for?
Answer: Montreal Canadians